Three smaller, low-budgeted films opening in select theaters today transport audiences to unlikely destinations through unusual stories and quirky characters. While they vary in quality, all three take us places we might never have the opportunity to visit in mainstream films.

As NBC's Heroes shoots climactic scenes from its season finale on a downtown office plaza, the blood tie between characters is literal. It's on their shirts, pants and shoes. Saving the world is a dangerous task, one that has taken hold of the heroes of TV's top new series.

Hugs abound on tonight's Lost as Kate and Sawyer return to the beach after a 9-month absence finally restoring the increasingly gloomy ABC drama to an upbeat ensemble. For the past year, many of Lost's supporting players have been left stranded by the shore, sifting the sand from their shorts as the series turned a darker focus on new villains and a handful of heroic holdovers.

A love triangle came to a dramatic conclusion on last night's Heroes, when Isaac fired his gun at "invisible" Peter and accidentally killed Simone. "It feels appropriate to die at the hands of my two suitors," says actress Tawny Cypress, who has played Simone since the pilot episode of NBC's hit superhero series.

Now we know how the castaways feel. After stranding viewers for three months, Lost returns Wednesday, looking to bring back its audience and momentum with 16 consecutive episodes in a new time slot (ABC, 10 p.m. ET/PT).